What
I have to say to you today won’t mean anything to you if your life and attitude
is characterized by you having a disregard for God’s standards of morality,
have a foul mouth, lack of impulse control,
or if you are covetous and consumed by lust for material things, food,
or pleasure; or if you are filled with malice toward others, envy, are
argumentative and rebellious, or filled with deceit, self-righteousness, like
to complain about and talk about others behind their backs, are despiteful,
proud, a boaster, always trying to come up with some evil little plan to
overthrow someone or get around a rule, disobedient to your parents, with no
more understanding than a squirrel, a covenantbreaker, don’t care about your
family, can’t be pleased by anyone no matter what they do, and totally devoid
of mercy or if you are a control freak or a worrywart. You’ll have to guess all
the ones I’m guilty of.
On
the other hand, if you are filled with the Spirit of God, and the proof of that
exudes from you in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, and temperance then it is possible, even if you disagree with
my examples or might have said things a different way, that you will walk away
with something that will help you or make you think.
What
I’m about to tell you has always plagued me and is very difficult for me to
follow or understand but I am trying and constantly asking God to change me. We
are going to look at two examples of men who accomplished God’s will, only in
completely different ways. If you turn to Judges, chapter 6, look with me, if
you will, at verse 11.
11 ¶ And there
came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that
pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the
winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the
angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee,
thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon
said unto him, Oh my Lord (that is Adonai),
if the LORD (Jehovah God) be with us, why then is all this befallen
us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not
the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered
us into the hands of the Midianites.
Now,
picture yourself coming to church and hearing a really good sermon or reading
the Bible after asking God to show something to you personally that will help
you. Maybe you’re ill, worried about a loved one who is sick, what to do about
money or your job, maybe whether to ask a certain person to marry you, or just
not sure about some other decision you have to make and nothing, I mean,
nothing has gone right. You are worried, confused, and feeling helpless. The
preacher is preaching about how much God loves you and died for you and rose
from the dead for you. Or, you’re reading; I
am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
(John 10:10).
And
you say, along the lines of Gideon in verse 13, in your head. “Lord, if you
really love me, if that’s true, then why is this happening to me? Where’s your
great love now? I can’t deal with this uncertainty, this not knowing. Won’t you
help me?” Maybe you remember verses that were taken out of context by some
preacher when he said, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith
the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Those words from Jeremiah 29:11 were referring to Israel not you. But you haven’t
read your Bible enough to know that it is out of context so you cling to it.
Now,
God told Gideon something and Gideon, as we all know, asked for a sign to prove
this was true. In verse 37 and onward we have the story of Gideon’s fleece.
You’ve probably thought this was pretty faithless of Gideon to doubt God but,
as Paul said in 1Corinthians 1:22, the
Jews require a sign and we know that Gideon did obey God but he wanted to
make sure this was God’s will and only Jehovah God could do what he asked, such
a subtle but remarkable manipulation of nature. Here, though, with you in
prayer, pleading for God to give you answers, you are seeking God’s will. Maybe
He gave you an overwhelming understanding of your situation as you read the
Bible, asking Him for guidance. Maybe you now feel certain of what you must do.
You’ve sought His will and you think you know what it is. You want to know with
all your heart what God wants you to do. You want His perfect will, not just
His permission, His permissive will, because God will usually let you do what
you want until you figure out your way wasn’t the best idea. And so, you make a
choice, or you accept your fate, or you have peace about what must be. But you
sought His will. His will is everything. And you want to obey Him.
Now,
let’s look at someone who did not lay out a fleece, who did not agree to do
what he was told if God would just give him a sign. Paul determined on his own,
his own spirit, lowercase s, that he must go to Jerusalem, then to Rome, that this is what he must do for God all the
while God was warning him.
Acts 19:21
After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had
passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have
been there, I must also see Rome.
God would confirm that that was indeed His own will.
Acts 23:11 And
the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul:
for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also
at Rome.
But, did Paul have
to go in chains as a prisoner? Why did he have to go to Jerusalem? The Holy
Spirit warned him what awaited him.
20:22 And now,
behold, I go bound in the spirit (lowercase s, his own spirit) unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things
that shall befall me there: 23 Save that
the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions
abide me. 24 But none of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my
course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to
testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Did Paul figure
that his work for the Lord was important enough to disregard the Lord’s
warning? Would you? What if a man of God, after you’ve made your decision after
seeking God’s will, say your preacher, warned you not to do something, told you
what awaited you?
21:10 And as we
tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named
Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us,
he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith
the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this
girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
And then Godly
friends pleaded with you not to make the mistake.
21:12 And when
we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go
up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered,
What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound
only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we
ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
Paul goes to the
temple.
21:18 And the
day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19 And when he had saluted them, he
declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his
ministry. 20 And when they heard it,
they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many
thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
21 And they are informed of thee, that
thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,
saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after
the customs. 22 What is it therefore?
the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
23 Do therefore this that we say to
thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; 24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and
be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that
those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that
thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. 25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we
have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they
keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from
strangled, and from fornication. 26 Then
Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into
the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until
that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
But, didn’t Paul
say he was the minister to the Gentiles in Romans 15:16? And yet, he persisted
in going to dispute with Jews in synagogues wherever he went in spite of the
fact that he also said Acts 13:46 that he was going to the Gentiles. And why
did Paul circumcise Timothy in Acts 16 when he would say in Galatians;
Galatians 5:1 ¶
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be
circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3
For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a
debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is
become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are
fallen from grace.
And didn’t he say
that we are not under the Law? Paul isn’t being consistent.
Galatians 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith. 25 But
after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
What do Gideon and
Paul teach you here? Both accomplished God’s will but one had an easier time of
it with less delay and suffering. Seek God’s will, believe what He promises,
but compare what you feel led to do with the Bible’s clear admonitions, listen
to men of God and godly friends and be consistent in your faith. Do it His
way. Follow it right down the line and look neither to the right or the
left. Importantly;
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. 6 In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
God will speak to
you through the Bible, others, and your heart, then obey Him if you are
submitted to His word. Seek His will. Listen to His warnings.
Trusting God’s
will is not as easy. We want to hold on to the things and the people we love.
We want to live. Death, not being dead, but dying, is a tremendous burden on
our hearts and minds.
Hebrews 2:15
And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime
subject to bondage.
Jesus Himself
experienced the fear of dying that anyone in a physical body experiences even
though He knew He would rise again and that it was only temporary.
Hebrews 5:7 Who
in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with
strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was
heard in that he feared;
But, in the end,
Jesus said;
Luke 22:42
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Job made an
incredibly strong declaration of trust in God’s will even though he had most of
his family, his wealth, and his very health ripped from him.
Job 13:15a
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:…
And in the book of
Daniel we have an extraordinary story of three young men who are threatened
with a fiery death if they do not worship a heathen king’s statue.
Acknowledging that God could deliver them but also acknowledging that it might
not be His will to do so it is said;
Daniel 3:17 If
it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king,
that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast
set up.
We have a promise,
not clear in the Old Testament where the focus for the obedient Jew was a
successful and prosperous and healthy life on earth and then death in old age,
of eternal life with Christ. But, we can see by the example Jesus gives us that
our fear of death and dying is not faithless or sin but merely an expression of
being human. We also have an example of Job and from the three Hebrew young men
of trusting God no matter what His will.
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